By: Laurie Wallin
Capital Cooking Contributor
I remember eating at (the first)
America Eats Tavern – Jose Andres’ pop-up restaurant that was created to
accompany the “What’s Cooking, Uncle Sam?” exhibit at the National Archives
several years ago. Like many others, I loved learning about the history of many
of our dishes and truly appreciated the thought and effort that went into the
restaurant (not to mention the delicious food). The restaurant has been reborn,
opened earlier this summer, and I was thrilled to visit its new location in the
Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner for a Virginia wine tasting on Wednesday, August 20.
America Eats Tavern’s wine
program was designed by ThinkFoodGroup’s Wine Director, Lucas Payá, and is designed
to celebrate the history of wine production and consumption in the United
States. The all-American wine list also dedicates a special section of the
wine menu to Virginia wines. Guests were able to sample four VA wines that
America Eats Tavern features on their wine menu.
Wednesday’s tasting included a
Linden Sauvignon Blanc, a Rappahannock Cellars White Blend (Chardonnay/Viognier),
an Ankida Ridge Pinot Noir, and a Linden Claret. I’ve drank both Linden and
Rappahannock in the past (Linden remains one of my favorite VA wineries), and I
was pleased to be introduced to the Ankida Ridge Pinot Noir. A winery I had
never heard of until that evening, the Pinot was smooth, fruity and very food-friendly. I suspect I
will be looking to take a trip to Charlottesville sooner rather than later to
try their other wines!
America Eats also provided small
bites to guests to be enjoyed alongside the wines. My favorite snack of the
night was the Hush Puppies with South Mountain Creamery Butter. I snuck a peek at the rest of
the menu, and was pleased to see the small descriptions that accompanied each
dish – similar to the menu at the (first) America Eats Tavern.
This event was a great showcase of some of the
wonderful VA wines that America Eats is featuring, and there’s no doubt that
they will pair beautifully with Chef Nate Waugaman’s food.
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